It can hold its own in handling terms with some of the best-handling cars we’ve ever driven, notably the Lotus Evora and Noble M600, while its performance is at a level that matches, and in many cases beats, hyper-expensive and hyper-exclusive supercars from not that long ago.

The interior is more usable and more interesting than ever before, and with a notable step up in quality. And almost as impressive as the 458’s sheer pace is its ability to do more mundane driving chores without batting an eyelid; this is an extremely comfortable car that rides superbly. Not exactly what you expect given the headline performance figures.